Bittersweet things that quarantine taught us

Bittersweet things that quarantine taught us

 

2020 started with a bang…Quite Literally!!!

 

This year has been unlike any other year. The worldwide spread of coronavirus or the Covid-19 as they call it, one of the most dangerous virus to ever exist hit mankind causing damages to the economy and human life more than any of the World Wars. The situation is slowly but steadily improving, thanks to our real-life heroes, our frontline warriors. If they wouldn’t have been working tirelessly day and night to restore everything back to normal, things would have been much worse.

The global pandemic has altered the very fabric of our existence, in one fell swoop shutting down everything we hold dear, from sports to movies to music to the very notion of human interaction. The spread of coronavirus forced millions of people across the globe into home quarantine. Man, being a social animal that he is, seemed too baffled by the thought of being locked in the four walls of the house for time undefined. The thought of it was too difficult to imagine, even for people who wanted 6 months vacation, twice a year.

But now here we are, having spent around 45 odd days living the Bigg Boss life and doing plenty of things to make this quarantine tolerable. This once in a lifetime incidence has taught us many things that we will treasure for the years to come. Let's have a look at some of them.

 

1. Finding Happiness in Simple Things

This quarantine has taught us to appreciate little things in life. Expensive watches, clothes, shoes and so on are temporary. A cup of tea, being around family, soaking in the calmness and tranquillity of the otherwise hustling bustling city, has made us appreciate simple things even more, which went unnoticed earlier. Not to forget the happiness that we get nowadays when the big basket order is out for delivery.

 

2. Taking time out for yourself

Often in our choc a bloc daily routine we don’t have time to do things that makes us happy. Quarantine has helped us have that valuable me time. Indulging in hobbies, be it reading books, drawing, painting, playing video games, or be it trying new things like cooking, baking or even watching your favorite series on Netflix. We have so much more time for ourselves than before and can do whatever we like, without even feeling guilty about it. 

 

3. Having Fun the Indian Way

Entertainment and fun is something that has not been lacking this quarantine. People have found innovative ways to have fun with their family and friends. Playing Antakshri, Tambola, and other fun-filled games on WhatsApp with the family to playing Ludo with friends. We have never been short of ways to make quarantine nights memorable.

 

4. Quarantine Period…Mini Diwali?

 Are you even Indian if you have not been cleaning your home in this period? All the Indian Moms have taken this opportunity to clean wardrobes, shelves, clearing off all the dust. And you better be helping them if you don’t want to sleep hungry. This period has given us the time to declutter, be organized, and keep things in order. And don’t forget, we even lit diyas on 5th April at 9 pm for 9 minutes. If this is not early Diwali, then what is?

 

5. Adapting to change

The absence of cooks and maids has made us do all the household chores. From rich to poor everyone is forced to do all the daily chores on their own. The welcome change is that even the males of the house are pitching in, be it in cooking, cleaning, or even washing utensils! This period has made us do everything no matter how big or small it is.

 

6. Work from Home

With everything shut and social distancing becoming the norm, companies were forced to start the culture of work from home. Work from home may not be that great but it solves 50% of the “what should I wear today” problems. On the other hand, education institutes have started with online lectures. The only good thing about this is, there is no attendance and you can sleep without being caught.

 

7. Old is Gold

With DD National airing the classic Ramayana after 33 years, it was embraced by the Indian audience with open arms. The rebroadcast of Ramayana smashed viewership record by becoming the most-watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers, beating the final episode of Game of Thrones. This just goes on to prove that old is really gold. Not to forget the rebroadcast of Shaktimaan & Mahabharata as well. Kinda like reliving our childhood days, isn’t it?!

 

8. Surviving with only the Essentials

Ever thought you will be able to go a week without having the roadside pani puri or enjoying dinner in a fancy restaurant. This quarantine has been great in developing self-discipline. We have learned to survive without Zomato and Swiggy, Flipkart and Amazon and even the brick and mortar shopping which we thought we wouldn’t be able to live without. But now we are happy with just having the essentials without the need for anything extravagant.

 

9. Bonding with Family & Friends

Having a lot of free time in this lockdown has helped us to connect and grow our bond with family and friends. Be it spending time with parents and spouse, playing with children, or catching up with old friends, this quarantine has helped strengthen the bonds and make new ones.

 

10. Rise of Covidiots

This crisis has given rise to a new term known as covidiots. These are the people who never went for morning walks before but are suddenly too motivated for it now, who go out without reason thinking nothing will happen to them and are too cool for wearing masks or following social distancing norms. Yes, they exist and they are in abundance. 2 mins of silence for such idiots.

 

 

Coronavirus has made us realize how undpredictable life can be. So consider each day a blessing and laugh a little harder, cry a little less and smile a lot more! No matter how you have spent your quarantine days, everyone somewhere enjoyed this period and will low-key miss these days. And as we write this, let's understand for a fact that we are en route to becoming a part of a major historical event. Don’t be too surprised if you see one of these blogs as a chapter for the future generation to study. It’s not every time you get to save the world and be a hero, by just staying at home.

Stay home, stay safe, and maintain social distancing! Be a Hero.